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NORAD Chief Santa Trackers of Renown
The first two NORAD Chief Santa Trackers, starting when the NORAD Tracks Program went on the World Wide Web in December 1997 thru the 2004 NORAD Tracks Santa season, came from the Canadian Forces. They were: :* The “Founding NORAD Chief Santa Tracker” Major (currently Lieutenant-Colonel(Retired)) Jamie Robertson, Canadian Forces. :* The second “NORAD Chief Santa Tracker” Major (currently Lieutenant-Colonel) Douglas "Doug" Martin, Canadian Forces. Another Chief Santa Tracker of “Renown” based on her years of service (2004 - 2008 in total, and 2006 – 2008 as NORAD’s “Chief Santa Tracker”) to the NORAD Tracks Santa program and impact in enabling the NORAD Tracks Santa program to transition to Web 2.0 is: :* Major Stacia Reddish of the United States Air Force. Lt.Col.(Rtd) Jamie Robertson, Canadian Forces (1997 – 2000) In 1997, then Major Jamie Robertson, Canadian Forces, Deputy Director of NORAD Public Affairs at the time, took charge of the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program and expanded it to the World Wide Web, where corporation-donated services have given the tradition global accessibility. Major Robertson served as “Founding NORAD Chief Santa Tracker” thru the 2000 NORAD Tracks Santa season. When Major Robertson introduced the NORAD Tracks Santa program to theinternet in December 1997, the large amount of web traffic quickly informed the NORAD Tracks Santa program that the children, their parents, and the young-at heart world-wide had a huge desire for realtime information on Santa'sChristmas Eve activities. Major Robertson wrote all of the content for the NORAD Tracks Santa website for the 1997 through the 2000 NORAD Tracks Santa season. He also wrote much of the content for the 2001 NORAD Tracks season website, before his transfer and the arrival of then Major Douglas “Doug” Martin, Canadian Forces in 2001. Major Robertson also wrote the scripts for each of the Santa Cam hourly location updates. In summary, all creative control rested with Major Robertson in order to ensure continuity of all aspects of the NORAD Tracks Santa program and wesbite. In 1999, thanks to Major Robertson’s enthusiastic and inspired leadership, the NORAD Tracks Santa website and program received 43 international Internet awards. Also in 1999, thanks to Major Robertson’s partnering efforts, NORAD enlisted the help of Astronaut Sally Ride and Space.com to assist with analysis of NORAD's Santa tracking data. Astronaut Sally Ride was the prototype of the later early 21st Century “Honorary Santa Trackers.” During Major Robertson’s tenure as NORAD’s “Chief Santa Tracker”, the huge amount of effort which went into all aspects of the Santa tracking program was only possible because of numerous volunteers and generous support from organizations such as Analytica Graphics, Inc., IBM, Americal Online (AOL), Globelink International Services, and many local Colorado Springs, Colorado radio stations. Major Robertson personally visited the U.S.-based headquarters of both IBM and Americal Online (AOL) in order to facilitate their “partnering” with and their enthusiastic voluntary support for the NORAD Tracks Santa program. Of all the many thousands of e-mails and telephone calls that Major Robertson and his staff of enthusiastic volunteers received during his trenure at NORAD, the one which sticks out most is this simplest: "Dear NORAD, thank you for giving my Son another year of Christmas magic and the belief in Santa Claus." After his transfer from NORAD in 2001, he was then promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, based on his outstanding success as “Founding NORAD Chief Santa Tracker” at NORAD, and after some follow-on assignments in the Canadian Forces, retired from in 2009 with 20 years service in the Canadian Forces. Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Jamie Robertson, Canadian Forces, is currently the Director, Communications and Outreach, Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). Lt.Col. Douglas “Doug” Martin, Canadian Forces (2001 – 2004) SSsAT19rLxk 2001 CBC News Story - NORAD Tracks Santa of December 24, 2001, featuring NORAD's Chief Santa Tracker then Major Douglas Martin, Canadian Forces Link to full size video Major Douglas Martin, Canadian Forces was the NORAD Chief Santa Tracker from 2001 thru the 2004 NORAD Tracks Santa seasons. Even with the challenges NORAD faced in the last half of 2001, such as overseeing Operation Noble Eagle, thanks to the leadership of NORAD’s Chief Santa Tracker, the 2001 NORAD Tracking Santa season was an outstanding success. and Santa Claus being briefed on the NORAD Tracks Santa program in October 2002 by Major Douglas Martin, Canadian Forces, Deputy Director of NORAD Public Affairs and Chief Santa Tracker.]] Major Martin’s tenure as NORAD Chief Santa Tracker saw many successes such as: 1) the appointment of Aaron Carter for the 2002 NORAD Tracks Santa season , 2) first use of a toll-free "1-800" type telephone number for children and the young at heart across the United States of America and Canada to call the NORAD Santa Tracking hotline without incurring long distance charges , 3) The two-year appointment of Ringo Starr, the former Beatle star as primary honorary Santa Tracker for the 2003 and 2004 NORAD Tracking Santa seasons , and 4) Lining up in the numerous celebrities who made video and audio appearances during the 2004 fiftieth (50th) tracking season of NORAD's annual tracking of Santa Claus. He was then promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, based on his outstanding success as Chief Santa Tracker at NORAD. Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Martin, Canadian Forces is currently the Canadian Forces Public Affairs Attaché, Embassy of Canada in the United States, Washington, DC. Major Stacia Reddish, United States Air Force (2006 – 2008) CznACcdBBJA July 25, 2010 Broadcast of a July 16, 2010 Interview with Major Stacia Reddish on the 2007 NORAD Tracks Santa Program. Link to full size video Major Stacia Reddish became involved in the NORAD Tracks Santa program in 2004, while working as an Air Force Reservist at NORAD Public Affairs in Colorado Springs, Colorado. At first, her involvement was ensuring the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center (a call center) on the 24th and 25th of December, was up and running with volunteers on Christmas Eve. Until the 2006 NORAD Tracks Santa tracking season, the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations center was located at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations center) was actually a training building for the 721st Security Forces Squadron at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. Major Doug Martin, Deputy Director of NORAD Public Affairs, was in charge of managing the NORAD Tracks Santa website, and Major Reddish was responsible for the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations center. Major Reddish was also responsible for the "Volunteer Santa Tracker Training Rally" that took place at Peterson Air Force Base auditorium. This was a great event attended by Goose Gossage in Colorado Springs, Colorado as well as by Colonel Harry Shoup, his daughter Teri and a son who was in the Navy. They had Mrs. Claus (played by Lieutenant Colonel Stellgwagen) and the NORAD Commander, General Ralph Eberhart, all involved in the "training" of volunteers, and celebrating the occasion. QdKHEjVTrGE 2005 Around the Air Force News Story - NORAD Tracking Santa - December 2005, featuring the NORAD Tracks Santa co-director, Master Sergeant Tomassi,USAF by TSgt Joy Josephson, USAF. Link to full size video When Major Martin transferred to another assignment after the 2004 NORAD Tracks Santa season, First Lieutenant Jody Vazquez and Master Sergeant Tomassi became co-directors of the NORAD Tracks Santa program for the 2005 NORAD Tracks Santa season. The following year (2006), due to the death of Major Martin's replacement in Public Affairs, Major Steele, and the departures of Lieutenant Vazquez and Master Sergeant Tomassi, Major Reddish became involved again in the NORAD Tracks Santa program, starting with the 2006 NORAD Tracks Santa season. Major Reddish was now responsible for both the NORAD Tracks Santa website, and the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations center. By 2006, while the ”static” NORAD Tracks Santa website had been adequate in the Web 1.0 era of slower dial-up Internet access speed, it was no longer sufficiently “interactive” for kids nor “state of the art” in the higher broadband internet access speed era. In 2007, Major Reddish’s primary goal was to be able to create a highly “interactive” for kids, NORAD Tracks Santa program Web 2.0 website that is “state of the art” in the higher broadband internet access speed era. America Online, by that time facing severe revenue declines and under tremendous profitability pressure, balked at providing the NORAD Tracks Santa Program with an interactive Web 2.0 website and wanted the NORAD Tracks Santa Program to stay at the static Web 1.0 level. The Google and Booz Allen Hamilton alliance was willing to take the NORAD Tracks Santa Program to the Web 2.0 level of interactivity and therefore was accepted by the NORAD Tracks Santa Program and Major Reddish as the new co-sponsoring lead partners. On June 19, 2007, the Partners in the NORAD Tracks Santa program came to NORAD headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, to begin preparing for the 2007 NORAD Tracks Santa holiday season. NORAD Tracks Santa corporate sponsors donate services ranging from web design and internet servers to animation artwork, language interpretation and Santa's mail service. Attending were, left to right, Technical Sergeant John Lobato (United States Air Force) of NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs; Peter Hope and Sherilyn Whiting of Booz Allen Hamilton; Fadia Gnoske of Globelink Culture Center; Kim Gerber of Booz Allen Hamilton; Cindy Kersey of Official Santa Mail; Melissa Crounse of Google; Air Force Major Stacia Reddish, NORAD Tracks Santa project officer (“Chief Santa Tracker”); Joanne Welsh of Analytical Graphics Inc.; and Diana Kersey of Official Santa Mail. The legacy of Major Reddish’s tenure as NORAD’s “Chief Santa Tracker” from 2006 thru 2008 included: :1. A highly “interactive” for kids, NORAD Tracks Santa program Web 2.0 website that is “state of the art” in the higher broadband internet access speed era. :2. Starting with the 2007 NORAD Tracking Santa season, the NORAD Tracks Santa program received recognition from the Space Foundation with their "seal of approval" under their Space Certification Program as a Corporate Patron Level Partner in the Certified Imagination Product Category http://www.spaceconnection.org/partners/corporate-patron-partners http://www.spaceconnection.org/partners/north-american-air-defense-command-norad, for having increased interest in and excitement for space by children and the young at heart world-wide. :3. Starting with the 2008 NORAD Tracking Santa season Chinese became the seventh language for the first time, joining the other six languages of English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The choice of Chinese as the seventh language, was a result of Google Analytics analysis of the 2007 NORAD Tracks Santa season website traffic reporting that visitors from China spent twice as long on site as the average. :4. The spread of the NORAD Tracks Santa program into other media types, such as YouTube (2007) , iTunes (2007) , Smartphone (2008) , and Twitter (2008). NORAD Tracks Santa Video and Audio Clips featuring NORAD’s Chief Santa Trackers of Renown References External links * Lt.Col. (Rtd) Jamie Robertson, Director, Communications and Outreach, Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (English) * "Canadian institutions keep us believing in Santa", Wednesday, December 14, 2005, WebWire – Mentions Lt.Col Doug Martin Category:NORAD Tracks Santa Wiki